“I’m simply saying that, behaving like
that, it’s not quite fair to pretend that I’m
not enthusiastic enough for you about this Lord Derby
thing. It isn’t as if you were really in
the Army—­”

He wished not to speak, but he could not let this
go. “But I am in.”

“Yes, but not properly in—­yet.
And perhaps you won’t ever be. It doesn’t
seem like being in to me. That’s all I’m
saying. Surely there’s no harm in that?”

He was at the window staring out into the garden.
“No, there’s no harm in it.”

“Well, then. What are we arguing about
it for?”

He turned towards her. “Well, but do understand,
Mabel. If you think I was a fool rushing in like
that, as you call it. Do understand. It’s
a Government scheme. It’s binding.
It isn’t a joke.”

“No, but I think they make it a joke, and I
can’t think why you can’t see the funny
side of it. I think giving you two and eightpence
like that—­a man in your position—­is
too lovely for words.”

He took the coins from his pocket, and jerked them
on the table before her. “Here, pay the
butcher with it.”

IX

But as he reached the door, his face working, the
tremendous and magnificent thought struck into his
realisation again. “I’m in the Army!
By gad, I’m in the Army. I don’t care
what happens now.” He strode back, smiling,
and took up the money. “No, I’m dashed
if I can let it go!” He went out jingling it
and turned into the kitchen. “I say, High,
Low, I’m in the Army! I’ve got in.
I’ll be off soon. Look at my badge!”

They chorused, “Well, there now!”

He said delightedly, “Pretty good, eh?
Isn’t it fine! Look at this—­that’s
my pay. Two and eightpence!”

The chorus, “Oh, if ever!”

High Jinks said, “That armlet, sir, that’s
too loose. It don’t half show down on your
elbow, sir. You want it up here.”

“Yes, that’s the place. Won’t
it stay?”

“I’ll put a safety pin in, sir; and then
to-night shift the buttons. That’s what
it wants.”

“Yes, do, High. That’s fine.”

He held out his arm and the two girls pinned to advantage
the splendid sign of his splendid triumph.

“There, sir. Now it shows. And won’t
we be proud of you, just, in khaki and all!”

CHAPTER IX

I

Life, when it takes so giant a hand in its puppet
show as to upturn a cauldron of world war upon the
puppets, may be imagined biting its fingers in some
chagrin at the little result in particular instances.
As vegetation beneath snow, so individual development
beneath universal calamity. Nature persists;
individual life persists. The snow melts, the
calamity passes; the green things spring again, the
individual lives are but approached more nearly to
their several destinations.